General Gaming Article

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• OCZ Vertex 450 256GB SSD Review
• Take a Look at the Steam Machine
• Ergonomic Keyboard Review Roundup
• Windows XP Users May Wait Until Last Minute to Upgrade
• Google Already Facing a Nexus 5 Supply Shortage
• Amazon Celebrates Relaxed FAA Rules with Single Day Kindle Discounts
• HGST's Helium Filled 6TB Ultrastar He6 Hard Drive Floats Over to Data Centers
• Maingear Makes a Move on Thin and Light Gaming Laptops with Pulse 17
• Newegg Daily Deals: EVGA ACX Cooler GeForce GTX 780, Dell Ultrasharp 24-inch LCD, and More!

OCZ Vertex 450 256GB SSD Review Posted: 04 Nov 2013 05:15 PM PST A more affordable Vector has finally arrived We were always big fans of OCZ's Barefoot 2–powered Vertex 4 SSDs. Heck, we even ran two of them in the almighty Dream Machine 2012. If that's not a stamp of approval, we don't know what is. But the SSD game moves quickly, and you have to keep up or you get left behind, so this month OCZ has put the Vertex 4 out to pasture and ushered in a new drive bearing the moniker Vertex 450. Unlike the Vertex 4, which ran a Marvell-based controller with custom OCZ firmware, this bad boy is juicing via OCZ's very own Barefoot 3 controller, which we first examined in the Kick Ass–caliber Vector SSD. The Vector is so fast that it currently sits atop the leaderboard of our SSD benchmarks, right next to the equally Kick Ass Samsung 840 Pro, and both drives are as good as it gets in the SSD world. But like Samsung, OCZ needs a drive to appeal to the common folk with a bit less cash in their PayPal accounts, so it's done what Samsung has done with its vanilla 840 drives and released this midrange SSD with a 3-year warranty to compete at a lower price point than the Vector. These are hotly contested waters, though, so the Vertex 450 has its work cut out for it. OCZ's "mainstream" SSD uses its very own in-house Barefoot 3 controller and 20nm MLC NAND flash. At the heart of this drive is the renowned Barefoot 3 controller, though this is not the same animal you will find in a Vector. This version is called the M10; it has a slightly lower clock speed and the ability to work with the 20nm NAND flash instead of the Vector's 25nm IMFT MLC NAND. For what it's worth, the Vertex 4 also used 25nm NAND, and the move to smaller-process flash helps reduce costs and improve capacities, though endurance is affected. Still, OCZ says the drive is good for 20GB every day for three years, which is considered a "heavy" workload. The Barefoot 3 controller also supports 256-bit AES encryption and has Trim support, and promises high performance without resorting to data compression or needing to reserve some space for over-provisioning either, so you get the drive's full capacity (238GB after formatting). It's available in the usual sizes: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. In our testing, we found the midrange Vertex 450 to be a totally adequate performer, as it hummed along right at the magical 500MB/s mark for most of its sequential-read speed tests. This is pretty much standard with modern SSDs; the 450 is right where it needs to be in terms of competitive performance. Its 4K random-write performance was middling overall, but placed dead last in this group. It's "real world" performance, though, as measured by PCMark Vantage was top-of-the-list, with it smokin' the Samsung 840 and Seagate 600 drives. Overall, this is a great drive and is fast across the board. But like the Seagate 600, it's too expensive. For this price, you can get an SSD with a 5-year warranty and more performance, like a Samsung 840 Pro. $235, www.ocz.com

Take a Look at the Steam Machine Posted: 04 Nov 2013 03:54 PM PST It looks good, real good The first pictures of Valve's prototype Steam Machine are surprising to say the least. With a chassis that's absolutely miniscule—for a system with a GTX Titan and standard desktop processor—it seems that Valve has been busy designing a custom case with a plastic shroud that ensures that each component in the machine is separate from the rest. The Verge was granted a hands-on with one of the very first Steam Machines and with the Steam Controller. It seems that Valve wasn't exaggerating when it said the machine would be 12x12.4x2.9 inches, making this a machine that could easily fit in any home entertainment system. Although games will be the obvious highlight, video and music playback services are planned. There's also the gyroscope built into the controller and a possible VR headset that could be used down the line by Valve to grab biometric feedback.  Valve also told The Verge that the company plans on producing and selling the Steam Controller in-house. The Steam Machines will be farmed out to as-of-yet unannounced hardware partners which will be revealed in January at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show. Don't expect twenty variations of the same thing—Valve's leaving a lot of the hardware decisions up to the manufacturers, but we're impressed by the prototype. The Seattle Times did a little sleuthing of its own and has learned that SteamOS won't prevent users from getting into the nitty gritty of Linux or from loading Windows onto the machine.  With such a tight fit in the chassis, we can't help but wonder about thermal issues. What do you think of the Steam Machine? Do you plan on getting one or will you stick to DIY systems? Follow Ben on Twitter.

Ergonomic Keyboard Review Roundup Posted: 04 Nov 2013 02:56 PM PST Four ergonomic keyboards reviewed All of us spend hours and hours at our computers, but we rarely stop to think about ergonomics until it's too late. The keyboards that most of us use don't help things either. There are options—this roundup is filled with ergonomic keyboards of all types: mechanical, split, tented, and even contoured. They may look different, but they've all got one thing in common: they're a helluva lot more comfortable than what probably came with your first computer. To make sure we got things right, we consulted with Dr. Emil Euaparadorn, Co-owner of Aspire Physical Therapy and associate director of Touro College's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. He stressed the importance of what he likes to call, "The three things to avoid." 3 Safety hazards and how to avoid them 1. Ulnar deviation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulnar_deviation)—keep your wrist as straight as possible. 2. Wrist extension—stow those keyboard feet and keep your wrists flat. 3. Carpal tunnel compression (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome)—the place where your hand meets your forearm is known as the carpal tunnel; avoid pushing on it. Euaparadorn was quick to stress that workplace ergonomics goes far beyond just the keyboard. Although there are plenty of variables to consider, the bottom line is to keep everything as straight as possible.  Goldtouch V2 Adjustable Comfort Keyboard If you find yourself wishing that you could tent—raise the center—of your keyboard while splitting the board into two separate halves, the Goldtouch V2 Adjustable Comfort Keyboard might be just the thing. The solid build quality and overall sturdy feel of the keyboard is surprising for a keyboard that spins and contorts to provide tenting. Our only real complaints with the keyboard are the mushy switches. Most rubber dome boards are a far cry from clicky mechanical switches, but the Goldtouch V2 has particularly horrendous domes as they don't provide much feedback. The Goldtouch V2 Adjustable Comfort Keyboard is adjustable and comfortable thanks to a lever that locks your changes in place. Get past the disappointing key feel and you've got a capable ergonomic keyboard. Adjusting the keyboard is a snap—literally. Lift the lever along the top side of the keyboard and you've got full control over each half of the board. Angle the right side down and keep the left side straight if you think aesthetics are more important than functionality. For everyone else, being able to control the width and angle of the split while also tenting the keyboard is a huge deal. Add in the fact that the lever snaps back into place to preserve your configuration and this is a truly customizable keyboard. Once we put down our protractor and finished dialing in our settings, we loved the clear key labels—even if they're printed—and media keys. Goldtouch has even included labels for common functions like Copy and Paste on the side of the keycaps. Oh, and if for some reason you're stuck on a Mac, the Goldtouch V2 even has a switch on the back to toggle between a Mac and PC configuration. For better or for worse, the only ergonomic features of the board are the tenting, splitting, and reduced footprint. Euaparadorn appreciates the robust split adjustment but thinks that tenting might be a gimmick that hurts more than it helps. Goldtouch V2 Adjustable Comfort Keyboard Byte Solid construction, sturdy tenting; great locking hinge; and media keys. Bite Keys feel like mush and it's hard to get both halves evenly tented. $110, www.goldtouch.com Kinesis Freestyle2 If you're always pushing your keyboard around and trying to find the perfect angle for your wrists, the Kinesis Freestyle2 is a match made in heaven. The basic model has up to nine inches of complete separation between the two halves of the keyboard. This means that you're free to move the keyboard anyway you want. With up to nine inches of separation, the Kinesis Freestyle2 lets you dial in the perfect split. Euaparadorn agrees that the fully adjustable split is perfect for zeroing in on the right configuration for you. Which is great because the Freestyle2 has some of the most responsive rubber domes we've ever had the experience of using. They feel remarkably similar to Cherry MX Red switches—tight and smooth.  It may not be able to angle itself without an additional $40 accessory, but it's a capable board that offers an easy way to mix up how you type, which is almost as important as having an ergonomic keyboard in the first place. However, we're not so forgiving of the shifted function keys. StarCraft players and anyone who uses the function keys regularly will have a rough time.  We're also a bit disappointed by the lack of media keys, but we're willing to give them up for a keyboard that feels good in every other way. Kinesis Freestyle2 Byte 9-inch split halves, small footprint; quality key feel; integrated number pad. Bite A questionably attached removable hinge; drastically shifted function keys. $100, www.kinesis-ergo.com Kinesis Advantage USB If there was an award for most daunting keyboard, the Kinesis Advantage USB would be a major contender. This is a huge keyboard, measuring over 16 inches wide and 3 inches tall. Fortunately, it looks a lot scarier than it actually is.  Look past the hefty footprint and the Kinesis Advantage USB is an ergonomic beast. The Advantage's greatest trait is its contoured design. The domed home row areas for each hand act as resting places for your fingers. The varying key elevations mean that each of your fingers will naturally rest on the appropriate keys. All keys—minus the function keys—are easily accessible without unnecessary hand movement. The Advantage USB also makes much better use of your thumbs which are usually relegated to spacebar duty. Enter, Back Space, Delete, End, Home, and more, are all grouped in two square sections for your thumbs. This was Euaparadorn's favorite keyboard of the roundup and for good reason: the large split design of the keyboard means that even broad shouldered users will be comfortable. He also likes the domed home row areas which allow you to rest your palms—not your wrists—on the keyboard.  Even with a $300 price tag, the Advantage USB still manages to pack in a huge list of features that extend beyond the unique, contoured design and mechanical switches. Every single key is reprogrammable without having to install software on your computer. A built-in speaker lets you turn on fake clicking sounds or an alarm that alerts you when you activate Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, or Num Lock. There's even a two port low-power USB hub on the back of the keyboard along with a telephone cable to connect Kinesis' optional foot pedal.  It's not all sunshine and roses though, every single one of the function keys and extra keys like Escape, Scroll Lock, and Print Screen, are soft, squishy buttons. They're a bit jarring compared to the rest of the keyboard which uses mechanical switches.  Kinesis Advantage USB Byte Cherry MX Brown switches; sturdy construction, contoured design; built-in palm rests; and plenty of thumb keys. Bite Huge footprint; squishy function keys; no media keys; and an astronomical price. $300, www.kinesis-ergo.com Truly Ergonomic Keyboard The Truly Ergonomic Keyboard is one of the most attractive ergonomic keyboards we've ever tested. Look past the rearranged modifier keys and the small form factor, and this is a keyboard that wants you to start typing and never stop.  Drop the wrist rest and the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard is truly an ergonomic keyboard. Fortunately the Cherry MX Brown switches make typing a real pleasure—when you aren't inadvertently hitting the Enter key. One of the first things you'll notice about the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard are the rearranged modifier keys. You use your thumb to hit the Enter key and your forefingers to press the Backspace, Delete, and Tab keys.  *Note: to learn more about the different mechanical switch colors/buttons, check out our mechanical keyboard guide.  We found that having to reach so far to delete text just wasn't comfortable. Moving Shift to Caps Lock and Ctrl to Shift are unnecessarily confusing changes. Placing the Enter key between two Space Bars also caused some trouble—sending half-finished emails and opening chat menus while playing games. If you manage to get past the lengthy transition period, this is a great keyboard. Its split design prevents ulnar deviation and the columnar—not staggered—keys seem comfortable and intuitive. Having the entire keyboard reprogrammable with the use of dip switches and a standalone program is almost a necessity for a keyboard that rearranges important keys. A full suite of media keys and application shortcuts along with the integrated number pad make this a keyboard that can easily replace the one you already have on your desk.  As for ergonomics, Euaparadorn says that the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard's split design won't be as helpful as say, the Kinesis Advantage USB because it isn't adjustable for different shoulder widths. He also thinks that the subtle changes in almost every aspect of the keyboard just aren't practical. Truly Ergonomic Keyboard Byte Tactical mechanical switches, solid design; media keys; small form factor; and an integrated number pad. Bite Annoying key changes—especially Shift; Control, Enter, Backspace; lack of adjustability; and a high price tag. $250, www.trulyergonomic.com

Windows XP Users May Wait Until Last Minute to Upgrade Posted: 04 Nov 2013 10:11 AM PST Windows XP is still the second most popular OS in the world Microsoft plans to finally cut off support for Windows XP in April 2014. There are no more reprieves in sight, nor are there likely to be any for an operating system that was made available to the general public around this time 12 years ago. That's an absolute eternity in technology years, but Windows XP remains such a well liked OS that it's still holding its own as the second most installed OS in the world. Not only is Windows XP still popular, it's barely losing market share with the April 2014 support deadline only five months away. In the past six months, Windows XP's market share has only dropped 1 percent and now sits at 20.06 percent, according to data by StatCounter. If you prefer NetMarketShare's way of keeping track of things, the drop over the past six months is a bit higher at around 7 percent, though the firm shows it's installed on over 31 percent of desktops around the world. That's nearly a third of all PCs, assuming numbers are accurate. Either way, it's clear Windows XP users aren't all that anxious to upgrade, especially to Windows 8, which hasn't yet reached an 8 percent penetration rate by either firm's accounting methods. Are you still rocking any Windows XP-based machines? If so, do you plan to upgrade by April 2014? Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Google Already Facing a Nexus 5 Supply Shortage Posted: 04 Nov 2013 09:15 AM PST Be prepared to wait up to a month if you order a Nexus 5 today Google treated Android fans to its first official serving of KitKat (Android 4.4) on October 31, 2013 by releasing its Nexus 5 smartphone. Available in Google Play, users can choose between 16GB ($349) and 32GB ($399) models in either black or white and be one of the first to sample the newest version of Android. Unfortunately, there's a penalty for having taken the weekend to think about things, and that penalty is now having to wait up to 4 weeks. If you're willing to purchase the 32GB Nexus 5 in white, Google says it will leave the warehouse in 2-3 weeks. Otherwise, the remaining available SKUs are all scheduled to leave the warehouse in 3-4 weeks. Our crystal ball is in the repair shop at the moment, but even without it, we can predict that the wait time could potentially increase. You may recall that LG had a difficult time keeping up with demand for the original Nexus 4. Google blamed LG for the slow rollout, while LG basically said Google failed to accurately predict how high demand would be for these devices. Now knowing what they didn't know back then, both sides are out of excuses. The Nexus 5 should be even more desirable than the Nexus 4 thanks to several upgrades. A microSD card slot is still missing from the blueprint, however the Nexus 5 does feature a 4.95-inch Full HD 1080p display (1920x1080, 445 ppi) protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Quallcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, Adreno graphics, 2GB of RAM, 8MP and 1.3MP cameras, built-in wireless charging, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 4G LTE support, and a few other goodes, all wrapped up in Android 4.4. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Amazon Celebrates Relaxed FAA Rules with Single Day Kindle Discounts Posted: 04 Nov 2013 08:38 AM PST Save a chunk of change on Kindle devices (today only) The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Halloween (October 31) that it would allow airlines to expand passenger use of portable electronic devices (PED) during all phases of flight, meaning you no longer will be instructed to turn off your e-reader during takeoff or landing, as long as you have a grip on it (or put it in the seat back pocket in front of you). To celebrate the relaxing of the rules, Amazon today is offering discounts on select Kindle devices. By entering code ThnksFAA at checkout, you can receive 15 percent off a Kindle, Kindle Fire HD, or Kindle Fire HDX. This is a one-day only sale, so if you're tempted, you'll have to decide somewhat fast. "We've been fighting for our customers on this issue for years, and we are thrilled by the FAA's recent decision—this is a big win for customers. Delta and JetBlue have already started flights with the new rules—we're excited to see which airlines are next," said Drew Herdener, Vice President, Amazon. "To say thank you, for one day only we're offering 15 percent off Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HDX 7-inch, and the $69 Kindle—happy flying!" Here's how the 15 percent discount affects each model: Kindle: $59 (down from $69) Kindle Fire HD: $118 (down from $139) Kindle Fire HDX: $195 (down from $229) Not too shabby, especially for the Kindle Fire HD, which might be the best value of the bunch. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

HGST's Helium Filled 6TB Ultrastar He6 Hard Drive Floats Over to Data Centers Posted: 04 Nov 2013 07:29 AM PST Helium filled hard drives will find homes in cloud data centers HGST just made every home consumer a little bit jealous today by announcing that it's now shipping the 6TB Ultrastar He6 hard drive to massive scale-out data center environments. For the time being, you can't head over to your favorite online vendor or local electronics store and pick up a 6TB drive with helium inside, but perhaps this technology -- and the resulting capacities -- will trickle into home user territory. In the meantime, these drives will end up being utilized by companies like HP, Netflix, Huawei Unified Storage, CERN, Green Revolution Cooling, and Code42, all of which are working with Western Digital's subsidiary to qualify the drive. We touched on this technology last week when it was first announced, but short and to the point, helium boasts one-seventh the density of air and allows for less drag force on the spinning disk stack. This in turn reduces the mechanical power necessary to drive the motor, along with other benefits. HGST crammed 7 platters into its 6TB Ultrastar He6 drive. It's also the industry's first hermetically sealed helium-filled HDD that can be cost effectively manufactured in high volume, the company says. Citing data from IDC, HGST says its HDD technology comes at a time when areal density growth rates have slowed and are expected at a rate of less than 20 percent per year from 2011 to 2016. In addition to sheer capacity, HGST's helium-filled drives consume 23 percent lower idle power per drive compared to a 3.5-inch, five-platter, air-filled 4TB HDD, 49 percent better watts per TB, run 4C cooler and 30 percent quieter, and are 50g lighter weight even with two more platters, offering 50 percent more capacity. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Maingear Makes a Move on Thin and Light Gaming Laptops with Pulse 17 Posted: 04 Nov 2013 06:02 AM PST The Pulse 14's bigger brother Thin. Light. Sexy. These are three adjectives boutique system builder Maingear is using to describe its latest laptop, the Pulse 17, though it's not an Ultrabook (Intel) or an ultra-thin (AMD). So what is? The Pulse 17 is a full-fledged gaming notebook that pairs Intel's 4th Generation Core processor family (Haswell) with Nvidia's GeForce GTX 765M GPU in a package that weighs less than 6 pounds. Maingear claims the Pulse 17 is the world's thinnest gaming laptop. It measures just 0.85 inches thick, along with 16.47 inches (W) by 11.29 inches (D). That's big enough for a 17.3-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) LED-backlit display, plus a whole lot of gaming goodness. There are "Good," "Better," and "Best" configurations to choose from. Pricing starts at $2,099 and includes an Intel Core i7 4700HQ processor, GeForce GTX 765M GPU, 16GB of DDR3-1600 memory, up to 1TB of hard drive storage and up to two 480GB solid state drives, Killer Gaming NIC (802.11ac optional), 7-in-1 media card reader, built-in 2.1 speakers, HDMI output, four USB 3.0 ports, two mini DisplayPorts, GbE LAN, and various flavors of Windows 8. Maingear's Pulse 17 is available to configure and order now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: EVGA ACX Cooler GeForce GTX 780, Dell Ultrasharp 24-inch LCD, and More! Posted: 04 Nov 2013 05:52 AM PST Top Deal: One of the best deals in PC gaming hardware right now is the GeForce GTX 780. That's because Nvidia aggressively slashed the suggested retail price last week, but don't think the only cards you get are those vanilla reference SKUs. Have a look at today's top deal for an EVGA ACX Cooler GeForce GTX 780 Graphics Card for $495 with free shipping (normally $510 - use coupon code NVEXCLS96; additional $10 mail-in-rebate). EVGA's ACX Cooler sports a custom two-fan cooling solution and comes overclocked to 967MHz (1020MHz boost). Be sure to check out some benchmarks we posted of a stock clocked GeForce GTX 780 a few months ago when the suggested retail prices was $650. Other Deals: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2x8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory for $140 with free shipping (normally $155 - use coupon code: [NVEXCLS63]) Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard for $120 with free shipping (normally $130 - use coupon code: [NVEXCLS58]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate) NZXT Hale82 850W SLI/Crossfire Certified Power Supply for $100 with free shipping (normally $120 - use coupon code: [NVEXCLS38]) Dell UltraSharp U2412M Black IPS 24" 8ms Adjustable LED Backlight LCD Monitor for $280 with free shipping (normally $310 - use coupon code: [NVEXCLS67])

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